How do Pakistan and Afghan Taliban militaries stack up as tensions flare?
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A man walks through debris at the site of a drug users rehabilitation hospital destroyed in what the Taliban said was a Pakistani air strike in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 17, 2026. REUTERS/Sayed Hassib
March 17 - Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan flared this week after the Afghan Taliban government accused its neighbour of attacking a drug rehabilitation centre and killing more than 400 people - a charge denied by Islamabad.
Amid fears of a sharp escalation in the conflict, here is a look at how the militaries of the allies-turned-foes compare, according to data from the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies.
OVERVIEW
Pakistan's government has invested heavily in its military, building up its nuclear programme and modernising all branches with the help of equipment from its main defence partner China.
Afghanistan's forces have been constrained by the Afghan Taliban government's lack of international recognition, which has restricted access to parts, expertise and maintenance.
PERSONNEL
Pakistan has 660,000 active personnel - 560,000 in the army, 70,000 in the air force and 30,000 in the navy.
The Afghan Taliban's military is around a quarter of the size with 150,000 active personnel.
FIGHTING VEHICLES AND ARTILLERY
Pakistan has more than 6,000 armoured fighting vehicles and over 4,600 pieces of artillery.
The Afghan forces have armoured fighting vehicles including Soviet-era main battle tanks, armoured personnel carriers and autonomous underwater vehicles.
There are no reliable estimates of the size of their fleet or of their artillery stockpile.
AIR FORCE
Pakistan has 422 combat aircraft and more than 260 helicopters.
Afghanistan has no fighter jets and no real air force to speak of. It is known to possess at least six aircraft - some of them dating back to the Soviet era - and 22 helicopters, although it is not clear how many are in service.
The Afghan Taliban has used drones to target Pakistan in recent months, Reuters has reported, though their origin and numbers are not known.
NUCLEAR
Pakistan is a nuclear power that continues to invest in its nuclear programmes despite budgetary pressures. Afghanistan does not have a nuclear arsenal. REUTERS
